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STUDENT SUCCESS STORIES - Olivia Stacey: “There is no way you could fail”

In January
2014, Olivia Stacey’s father passed away, altering her life path significantly.
From a young age, Stacey had watched as her father studied to become a nurse.
“He got his nursing degree later in life,” she noted.

She recalled
that at her father’s wake, so many of his fellow nurses wanted to pay their
respects that many had to change their shifts at the hospital.

Stacey wasn't sure what kind of career she wanted to pursue, but found strength and
motivation following in her father’s footsteps. “Nursing was his passion. It
was who he was,” she said.

Stacey sensed
her father’s presence as she became increasingly more focused and determined.
“I think it was his way of saying ‘get it together,’” Stacey recalled.

Stacey found
out about Goodwin College through her doctor, who recommended that she look
into the school. She knew Goodwin was the right choice for her once she stepped
onto campus and attended a nursing seminar. “I just knew. It was fate.” She is
now enrolled in the Pre-Nursing program at Goodwin.

When Stacey
met Dan Noonan, Vice President of
Enrollment, Marketing, and Communications and a Goodwin professor, she said her
experience at Goodwin was greatly enhanced. “His presence alone and willingness
to help changed everything.”

Stacey was struggling in her math class; when she expressed
concerns to Noonan, he in turn connected her to Eric Emet, Director of Student
Retention. Emet was able to secure a math tutor in the Academic Success Center
to get her on the right track.

“I was able to talk to people I felt comfortable with,”
she commented. “The way it’s set up, there is no way you could
fail.”

Once she
graduates from Goodwin, she hopes to work in pediatrics. Her brother was a teen
dad, which inspired her to want to help children. “As a nurse, you have to put
your heart into it. Having extra love to give sets you apart.”

Stacey’s
father’s passing inspired her to find a meaningful career — one that would
honor him. “His death was a setback, but in many ways it also moved me
forward.”

Stacey is
well on her way to becoming a compassionate, hardworking nurse just like her
father.